From U.S. Pat. No. 4,296,932 is known a method of sealing faults or like passages in geological bodies situated close to a mineshaft and like structures, wherein a sealing composition comprising a rubber latex and a bituminous material is used to close the passage. Bituminous material is included in emulsion with the latex to prevent formation of a film in the latex when being injected. Such a film can form, even under low pressure and limits the depth of penetration into the fault. Such a film also can be easily broken due to the limited depth thereof.
However, it has been found that appropriate sealing of cracks may require injection of sealing composition at pressures from 1 Bar up to 200 Bar. At these pressures, pure natural latex, or natural rubber latex, being incapable of resisting hydrostatic pressure without setting, is unsuitable as it cannot be handled in the pumping equipment capable of achieving the required order of pressure.
Thus, in these situations, it appears that natural latex compositions or emulsions cannot be used, and the cost and sealing advantages that latex might enjoy in other situations is lost. Further, it is not desirable to use bitumen in such high pressure applications as it is a difficult material to pump and, is not of itself suitable as a sealing agent, even though it may promote coagulation of latex.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a method and composition for sealing a passage in a body that enables employment of a latex based composition while reducing the problems experienced with the prior art methods employing latex as described above.